Editorial: Primary races can be healthy process

Bill Fey, chairman of the Republican organization in Gloucester County, is accustomed to primary races.

For as long as he has been chair, there has been a GOP fight for the party’s freeholder nominations — interesting given the fact the county board has been in Democratic hands for two decades.

So, Fey is prepared for a primary fight in the county’s largest town for the open mayor’s seat and two positions on council this fall.

There are three announced candidates — Tim Attanasi for mayor and Mike Gilletti and Sal LoPresti for council — with others likely to surface before the April 2 filing deadline.

The Attanasi-Giletti-LoPresti slate say they were ignored by the local Republican organization when they met to declare their intentions last summer. Township GOP Chairman Mike Pascetta, noting the party is still accepting resumes from interested candidates, suggested the trio “obviously decided to circumvent the process.”

That sounds like a primary fight is brewing.

That is not a bad thing. Yes, primary fights cost money and bruise some egos.

However, it affords a party an opportunity to put their best candidates forward.

Fey has observed that is healthy for democracy.

“If there is one, so be it,” he said. It’s the way for people to express themselves. If it was our way or the highway, that’s not the American way.”

Interested in joining the process?

Send Pascetta a resume and be prepared to knock on doors and stand outside businesses and greet people.

You will help make Washington Township a better place to live and work.